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01/31/2012

I need your help to save funding for bicycles

5 minutes today can save $1.2 billion in federal funding.

Trek family,

Over the past ten years, the bike community has made a huge difference in helping to make America a more bicycle friendly country. We’ve made a lot of progress, but we have a long way to go. Unfortunately, as a movement, we are facing some real challenges in Washington. On Thursday, February 2nd the House Transportation Committee is voting on the American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act, a bill that eliminates crucial funding for biking and walking. We stand to lose $1.2 billion and over 3,000 potential bike and pedestrian projects, including Safe Routes to School programs.

We need your help to preserve these dedicated biking and walking infrastructure funds. What can you do?

3. Ask your representative to vote for Representative Petri's amendment to support dedicated funding for walking and biking.

4. Send your friends an email asking them to also contact their representative.

5. Ask your friends and followers on Facebook and Twitter to take action.

Your message can be as simple as this:

My name is [YOUR NAME], and I’m contacting you today to ask you to protect the dedicated pedestrian and bicycle funding in the new American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act.

This bill is expected to eliminate the two largest programs that fund bicycling and walking infrastructure: Transportation Enhancements and Safe Routes to School. Without these programs, communities in your district and all over the country will lose access to resources to build the facilities that keep people safe.

Biking and walking make up 12 percent of all trips, but only 1.5 percent of federal funding.

And bicycling is good for health and the environment.

Thank you for your support. [YOUR NAME] [YOUR CITY AND STATE]

A call will only take five minutes out of your day, but it could be the difference between no funding and over a billion dollars in funding. Zero projects or 3,000 biking and walking projects.

When you call your representative’s office, you will most likely get voicemail or talk to the representative’s staff member. That's okay. Still leave the message. Every call counts. It is vital that every everyone reaches out in some way.

Your phone call matters. Last year, when the Transportation extension was at risk, Bikes Belong called upon 20,000 California residents to contact Congressperson Pelosi and ask for her support of dedicated bicycle infrastructure funding. Within 48 hours they had over 2,000 calls to her office. 48 hours later Senator Pelosi called a press conference and publicly announced her support of the bicycle funding. This new multi-year bill is critical. We need every representative to hear from their constituents.

Thank you, John Burke

Click here for more information regarding the American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act.